Shaming the legacy of Keir Hardie

PETER A Russell (Letters, May 13) writes that “Labour was the only party whose USP was that it was the party of the whole of the mainland UK”. I think that the Tories and Libdems would beg to differ, but that is beside the point. The point, of course, is that it was hardly ever the party of government of the whole of the UK. Mr Russell then goes on to give his insider’s view on how to manipulate and manage a political party from the inside, all excellent stuff for the edification of the political outsider like me, but all he succeeds in is confirming to me the reasons I left the Labour Party in the first place. As a passive member I had, at last, come to realise that the purpose of the Labour Party was the perpetuation of the Labour Party, and its insiders in Scotland.

He writes: “Independence would mean an end to redistribution from the wealthy south-east of England and London, to Scotland.” How’s that for an inspiring political vision for a nation? Mr Russell is telling us that we are condemned to being a parasitic nation living off the wealth of its neighbour: what vision; what leadership. Keir Hardie will be birling in his grave. John Jamieson, Ayr.